Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-11-03
CHAPTER X.

There was q grave in the churchynrd at
Vile d'Avray, and on the headstone was the
name of Henriette Laroque with the date Of
her death engraved upon it; but she who
slept beneath was not the unhappy young
wife of that still more unfortunate man.
Henriette, after that last day at the court,
had fallen into such q state Of mental apathy
as would have caused her friends the liveliest
apprehension had the poor creature had any
one capable of approaching her dangerous
condition; but those who surrounded her
thought this only the natural reaction after
such acute suffering as she had undergone.
And so at last the poor overweight brain
gave way and she lost her reason completely
Her instinct, which now governed her move
ments, made her feel that this was an I'M
pleasant place; that it was connected some
how with something that gave her pin, and
she wandered off into the woods, bareheaded,
in her simple black dress, which she had now
adopted entirely. and with thin house slippers
on her tiny feet.
The silence and calm of the cool green for
est soothed her and she wandered down to the
waters edge. While there little boat came
floating along, tenantless, and little eddy
brought it within her reach. With a child
ish, unmeaning laugh she seized it and drew
1t gently to her and then sprang in, and the
movement gave impetus to the boat, which
foated out and into the swift current. The
gentle movement of the boat Gained the
overweight nerves and Henrietta fell asleep
and never awoke until daylight on the fol-
lowing morning.
She was far away from her home then and
in the heart of mountainous region, where
herds and flocks were browsing and farming
in the valleys was the principal industry. AT
bend in the river some floating brushwood
turned the little boat to the bank and Henri
cite stepped ashore, with one bare foot and
one foot shod with satin slipper.
Her blind instinct led her toward habita-
ton and she limped along until she reached
farm, and she went on silently, like black
shadow, and up tagged walk to an open
doorway, through the door and into a large,
neat farm kitchen, where she stood smiling
with childish innocence upon the astonished
inmates.
The owners of this farm were an old couple
named Dubois, and they were cbildless, and
had been very unfortunate in their crops for
three or four years They were simple
ignorant and superstitious, but possessed OF
good hearts. They had not heard Henriette
come in, nor had they seen her until some
how they turned and there she was She
smiled and appeared so gentle, and yet SC
strange that they regarded her with awe.
and she sat down with them at the table cad
ate like a famished creature, but they saw
that her soft, white hands had never done
any work. They asked her questions as TO
whence she came, who she was, but the only
answer she would give was:
81 know nothing about it."
At night the good old couple placed her in
their own clean bed and they slept upon
pallet. They said TO each other:
1--WE must keep her. She may be Mas
cote and bring US good luck again"
And so poor demented Henriette found
shelter and home with this simple. worthy
couple, and she staid there contentedly, help
ing the old woman in many ways.
Always smiling, always gentle and amiable,
and whether it was that she was Aascotte
or no, the next eight seasons harvests were
so full and abundant and everything pros
pered SO well with these two old people, that
one might say that their kindness to help
less stranger had brought Gods blessing
with it.
But these poor creatures lived so far away
from Paris, and knew so little Of what passed
in the world outside Of their narrow valley,
that they could never have imagined the
truth, and as Henriette had dropped into
their world without warning or knowledge
they accepted her advent and never dreamed
Of making inquiries. They called her Marie,
not knowing any other name, and she was
treated far better than they used themselves.
What work she did was done voluntarily.
She fed the chickens and lambs and gathered
fIutt. and did much sewing her bnus1ed